Marvel Studios understandably prefers to keep details about its film and TV endeavors under lock and key. In recent years, though, the company has fallen foul of multiple major leaks related to different projects, including Eternals, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and, most infamously, Spider-Man: No Way Home. For many, it was unexpected to see the secretive studio have many of its surprises spoiled on YouTube and social media platforms. Now, a new report has provided a better understanding for Marvel's leaks issues.
The Hollywood Reporter published an article about MCU leaks, in which it stated that a lot of the company's security breaches can likely be attributed to two main factors arising from the coronavirus pandemic: On-set safety guidelines, and the pandemic opening the door for special-effects personnel to work from home.
Regarding remote VFX work, the House of Ideas employs various companies to bring the MCU to life. However, with so many projects under development, the number of required VFX houses grows to an amount that's difficult to manage. As a special-effects producer told THR: "Practically speaking, with facilities running at—or really, beyond—capacity, it's making the planning of VFX shows very tricky."
That, in turn, leads Marvel to hire many more special-effects companies, thus allowing more eyes to be on the studio's top-secret projects. Some might have assumed that the majority of Marvel Studios' leaks have come from the VFX artists working on its many projects. As it turns out, that isn't always the case.
The Hollywood Reporter stated that some of Marvel's leaks have not come from the special-effects workers themselves. Instead, they've come from individuals close to them that have photographed their work monitors and sent the pictures to other people who, in turn, released them online.
Marvel's Efforts To Contain The Leaks
Marvel has developed a thorough countermeasure plan to prevent leaks like the ones mentioned above. As a special-effects artist who's been involved with different MCU projects explained to THR, the company requires its outside collaborators to go through a training program for how to properly handle the sensitive content at their disposal:
"I had to go through a whole training course to make sure that I know exactly what I need to do and where to report [anything suspect]."
According to them, knowing "exactly [what] to do" involves their home work setup being required to be separate from areas where visibility by outside parties might be possible. On top of that, VFX personnel needs to sign contracts about avoiding what THR described as "shoulder surfing," which means artists' acquaintances and/or relatives watching their work. Though the measure may seem excessive, it's quite justifiable given the aforementioned source of some of the company's leaks.
Aside from that, the company is reported to have what is known as a "Black Widow Room"—an office space devoid of internet or windows (where even cleaning staff is prohibited from entering) to discuss sensitive MCU-related matters.
As mentioned, THR also attributed leaks to previous on-set secrecy practices being no longer enforceable due to COVID-19 safety protocols. According to the trade, while "members of a Marvel production would crowd around the monitor to see the shot," that is no longer achievable due to social-distancing guidelines, which means a lot of people get to see footage captured on any given day. It seems Marvel has yet to find a solution for that issue.
Leaks for high-profile Marvel Studios projects will likely continue to happen. Hopefully, the company's practices and safety measures will eventually make such leaks less prolific.
Marvel Studios' next feature film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, arrives in theaters on November 11, 2022. On the television side, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is streaming exclusively on Disney+, with new episodes released every Thursday.